Austrian

Austrian Grand Prix: Harry Benjamin’s driver ratings as George Russell wins for Mercedes

Gabriel Bortoleto – 6/10

A tidy race to lead Audi home and finish just outside the points.

Nico Hulkenberg – 5.5/10

Solid enough but finishing behind Bortoleto takes the shine off it. He gained places from his lowly starting position, however.

Pierre Gasly – 5/10

Slipped down the order so a disappointing Sunday for Alpine who just looked short on pace.

Ollie Bearman – 4.5/10

A clean but anonymous afternoon for Bearman. Haas didn’t have much to fight with.

Franco Colapinto – 4.5/10

Not spectacular but a steady finish for Colapinto, who kept his Alpine out of trouble.

Esteban Ocon – 4/10

Finished behind team-mate Ollie Bearman again, which made for a poor return. Lost ground at the start and never looked like a points contender.

Alex Albon – 4/10

Williams had a tough race and Alex Albon finished two laps down. Unlike this team-mate Carlos Sainz, he at least got to the flag.

Fernando Alonso – 4.5/10

The final classified finisher. He gained places largely through others retiring, however his five-second penalty for speeding in the pit lane made this another race for Aston Martin to forget.

Lance Stroll – 3.5/10

Aston Martin driver retired after 45 laps, ending a difficult race from the back row.

Carlos Sainz – 4/10

Out after 23 laps when his car stopped on the pit straight. Led Williams once again in qualifying which is all that can be said.

Sergio Perez – 4/10

Only lasted a few laps for Cadillac. Out-qualified team-mate Valtteri Bottas but barely turned a wheel this weekend with several car issues in practice plaguing him during the race, too.

Valtteri Bottas – 3.5/10

The first retirement, after just two laps. There was almost no race to judge. Started behind his team-mate but Cadillac’s Sunday was over before it had begun.

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Russell beats Verstappen at Austrian Grand Prix to boost F1 title hopes | Motorsports News

George Russell’s victory over Max Verstappen further reduces teammate Kimi Antonelli’s lead in the drivers’ title race.

A thirsty George Russell won the Austrian Grand Prix from pole position on Sunday to trim Mercedes teammate Kimi Antonelli’s Formula One championship lead to 40 points.

Max Verstappen finished 1.6 seconds adrift, after crashing in qualifying and starting fifth, at his Red Bull team’s home circuit with Antonelli third and 0.3 behind after a thrilling chase to the line at scenic Spielberg.

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The win was Russell’s second of the season, after he took the opener in Australia, his career seventh and Mercedes’ seventh in eight rounds so far.

Antonelli has 171 points to Russell’s 131 with Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton, fifth on Sunday after running second and battling Verstappen wheel-to-wheel, dropping to third on 125.

In the constructors’ standings, Mercedes have 302 points to Ferrari’s 204.

“Incredible to be back on the top step. It’s been a little while, so I am definitely going to enjoy this one this evening,” said Russell, who can now head to his home British GP at Silverstone next weekend on a high.

He revealed over the radio after taking the chequered flag that his drinks system had failed during the race, the first of the season to be declared a “heat hazard”. “Nice race for it to do so, I’m a little bit thirsty,” he said.

Oscar Piastri was fourth for McLaren, ahead of Hamilton, with Isack Hadjar sixth for Red Bull.

Reigning champion Lando Norris, last year’s winner in Austria, was seventh with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc eighth and Racing Bulls pair Liam Lawson and rookie Arvid Lindblad completing the top 10.

“I was having to push every single lap and when you push those boundaries there’s bound to be a small mistake or two,” said Russell.

“I knew how quick the guys were behind. Kimi has been extraordinarily quick this whole season, so every lap I was looking at the timing board.”

George Russell in action.
Russell wins the Austrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg, June 28 [Darko Bandic/Pool via AFP]

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Austrian Grand Prix: George Russell steals pole from Charles Leclerc after Max Verstappen crash

Mercedes driver George Russell controversially stole pole position at the Austrian Grand Prix from Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc with the last lap of the session.

The result came amid late drama as Russell set his lap, beating Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton, despite passing yellow flags for a crash by Red Bull’s Max Verstappen at the penultimate corner.

Russell’s team-mate Kimi Antonelli, who was running just ahead of the Briton, also passed the Verstappen incident, but did not improve his time and will line up fourth.

McLaren’s Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri were sixth and seventh behind Verstappen, who kept fifth despite his crash.

Russell insisted he had slowed sufficiently for the Verstappen incident, and claimed there was just a single yellow flag showing, rather than the double waved yellows which might have been expected for such a situation.

“I had a big lift,” Russell said. “I went into the corner 0.5secs up and I came out 0.25secs up. It was great to get that lap.

“I just spoke with Toto [Wolff, team principal] and he said everything is fine with the yellow flag. Big 100m lift before the corner. So that’s good to hear.”

The late drama was caused by a big crash for Verstappen, who lost control going into the high-speed downhill right-hander and spun across the gravel into the barrier.

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